Tushka tornado survivors prepare for this storm season

By Jalah Gray&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Sun 8:16 PM, Apr 29, 2012&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Sun 10:47 PM, Apr 29, 2012

ATOKA COUNTY, OK - The one year anniversary of the devastating tornado that leveled Tushka, Oklahoma has come and gone, but as Jalah Gray shows us many area residents say they've learned to be prepared for the worst.

April 14th 2011 is a day many Tushka residents will never forget.

"A lot of fear, and a lot of devastation and something you never thought you'd be in the middle of, you'd seen a lot of TV and saw it in other places but you never thought it would be right here in your own yard." said Becky White.

"You know you see it on TV, it's never like you think it is, until it's in real life." Adam White said.

Adam West lost almost everything in the tornado, including one of his dogs until a story Channel 12 aired, brought Rocky home.

"It was about 6 miles away across the highway from our house, and he had cuts on him, no broken bones, and they said he was soaking wet." Adam said.

He says he remembers going back to see the ruins where his house once stood.

"Right after, when a lot of it settled down, we went through there and I remember us sitting in our old driveway and it was just kind of a surreal moment." said Adam.

Adam spent the last year putting his life back together. When he moved his growing family into a new house in Atoka, just 4 miles from where he lived in Tushka, he said there was one major requirement that had to be met.

"Never again would I move in a mobile home, because it's just not as safe, because it can fly away in an instant." said Adam.

Adam's mom Becky say she'll never forget seeing the tornado heading straight for her neighborhood, and having to drive to take shelter at the Atoka Middle School, but she says next time she'll be ready, as she showed us the new storm shelter in her backyard.

This 6x8 shelter took just a few hours to put in, and can hold up to 10 to 12 people comfortably, and with the right supplies you can sustain yourself in here for several days.

"You hope you never have to use it, but if you do, you want to have it, because it sure is a life saver." said Becky.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.